Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie from the kitchen
This Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie is a refreshingly flavorful no-bake treat that combines a golden sandwich cookie crust, vanilla ice cream, house-made lemon curd, and a mile-high toasted meringue top! It is lip-smackingly good and a great way to cool off during the hot summer months!
Recipe Overview
Ahh, summer is finally upon us, which means sometimes giving our dear ovens a break! This Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie recipe, while a little time-consuming, is worth the wait! It's broken out into the following parts:
Golden Sandwich Cookie Crust. This uses only two ingredients: golden sandwich cookies—the whole cookie and melted unsalted butter. It's what Try making first.
Vanilla Ice Cream. There are two layers of this wonderfully tasting ice cream that is made with real cream and 100% real milk, just without the lactose so you can still satisfy your sweet tooth while avoiding any tummy discomfort!
House-made Lemon Curd. Oh, how Enjoy this house-made lemon curd recipe! It's lip-smackingly flavorful and evenly sandwiched between the LACTAID vanilla ice cream!
This doesn't take long to make, but it does require a minimum of 1 hour of chilling in the refrigerator. It's important that it's completely chilled before you add it to the top of the first layer of ice cream.
Meringue Topping. The grand finale or the pièce de résistance, if you will, to this lemon meringue ice cream pie — that is this mile-high meringue topping. It takes roughly 15-20 minutes to make and will give you a cleanly domed meringue top!
To make it even fancier, I highly recommend toasting the top of the meringue with a small kitchen blowtorch!
How to Assemble the Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie
- Remove the pie crust from the freezer and add in a layer of vanilla ice cream. Smooth and level it out with an offset spatula. Place back into the freezer for 15-20 minutes to set.
- Spoon the chilled lemon curd filling over the first layer of ice cream, then place back into the freezer to set (at least 2 hours). The lemon curd takes longer to set, and you truly need it to be as firm as possible before adding the last layer of ice cream.
- Spoon the last layer of vanilla ice cream onto the top of the lemon curd. Place back into the freezer to set for about 15-20 minutes.
- While the last layer of ice cream is set, make your meringue topping. Serve immediately or place back into the freezer until ready to enjoy!
If you plan to serve this the next day or even a week later, let the last layer of ice cream set, then lightly cover it with aluminum foil until you're ready to add the meringue.
Helpful Ice Cream Pie-Making Tips
- This meringue recipe makes enough for a very tall domed pie. If you would prefer a less domed meringue, half the method.
- You can also use store-bought whipped topping in its place. Instead of making house-made lemon curd, you can buy store-bought.
- To make the ice cream easier to spread, let it sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Leftover pie can be kept uncovered in the freezer for up to 5 days. The meringue will not collapse.
Essential Pie-Making Tools
Questions on this bake
Can this ice cream pie be made in advance?Yes, you can make this up to 2-3 weeks in advance, but I would wait to add the meringue until you're almost ready to serve it. Keep the pie in the freezer, covered with a layer or two of aluminum foil.
How much lemon curd does this make?This house-made lemon curd recipe makes 12.7 oz or 359 grams.
How can I easily spread the ice cream out as a layer?Try letting the ice cream sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to soften it and make it easier to spread out.
What size pie dish do I need?9-inch pie dish. A deep dish pie plate is not needed.
Can I make this using store-bought lemon curd?Yes, absolutely!
Can I top this lemon ice cream pie with something other than meringue?Yes, if you would prefer not to use a meringue topping, you can easily use a whipped topping. But honestly, the meringue is the best!
- Yield 10 servings
- Prep 1 hour
- Total 7 hours
- Calories 597
Ingredients
Lemon Curd Filling
- 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Lemon Juice, 1 large lemon or 2 medium lemons
- 2 tsp Lemon Zest
- 2 large Egg Yolks, room temperature
- 2 large Eggs, room temperature
- 1 Quart Vanilla Ice Cream, (2 cups for first layer, 2 cups for 2nd layer)
Golden Sandwich Cookie Crust
- 24 Golden Sandwich Cookies, processed into fine crumbs
- 5 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
Meringue Topping
- 4 Large Egg Whites, room temperature
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Method
Lemon Curd Filling
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes or until it's smoothy and creamy. Add in the granulated sugar, salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest, mixing until well blended. Add in the 2 eggs yolks and 2 whole eggs and mix until fully combined. The mixture will look kind of curdled or like scrambled eggs. This is okay.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium-size saucepan and, whisking constantly, cook over low heat until thickened (about 5-6 minutes).
- Remove from heat and, using a spatula, press the lemon curd through a fine mesh sieve into a mixing bowl.
- Add a layer of plastic wrap directly over top of the lemon curd (to avoid it getting a film over the top) and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour, or overnight. Kept in a tightly sealed container, lemon curd will last up to a week in the refrigerator.
Golden Sandwich Cookie Crust
- Using a food processor, process the golden sandwich cookies (the entire cookie) into fine crumbs. Add in the melted butter and pulse until the cookie crust mixture forms (you can also use a spatula to stir it together). It should be the consistency of thick, mushy sand that can easily be shaped into the 9 inch pie plate.
- Press the cookie crust mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Smooth and even out the cookie crust using a rubber spatula or the bottom of a measuring cup.
- Chill the pie crust in the freezer for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Assembling the Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie
- Remove the pie crust from the freezer and add in about 2 cups of vanilla ice cream. Smooth and level out this layer with an offset spatula. Note: It's best to let your ice cream sit out for about 30 minutes so it is easier to spread into the pie crust. Place back into the freezer for 15-20 minutes to set.
- Spoon the chilled lemon curd filling over top of the first layer of ice cream, then place back into the freezer to set (minimum of 2 hours). The lemon curd takes longer to set.
- Spoon about 2 more cups of vanilla ice cream onto the top of the lemon curd. Place back into the freezer to set for about 15-20 minutes.
- While the last layer of ice cream set, make your meringue topping (instructions below). Serve immediately or place back into the freezer until ready to enjoy!
Meringue Topping
- Using a bain-marie or double boiler, heat the egg whites and granulated sugar over 1 – 1.5 inches of simmering water, continually whisking until the sugar has fully dissolved (about 5-6 minutes). You can do a quick test by rubbing a little of the mixture between your pointer finger and thumb to make sure all sugar granules have dissolved.
- Transfer the hot mixture to a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and set the speed to high. When the mixture begins to reach the soft peaks stage, add in the cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla extract. Continue to mix on high speed until stiff, high glossy peaks form (about 10 minutes).
- Top the pie with the meringue and, if desired, lightly toast the top using a small kitchen blowtorch. Do not use your oven's broiler to toast the meringue.
Baker notes
This meringue recipe makes enough for a very tall domed pie. If you would prefer a less domed meringue, half the method. You can also choose to use a store-bought whipped topping in its place.
Instead of making house-made lemon curd, you can buy store-bought.
This house-made lemon curd recipe makes 12.7 oz or 359 grams.
To make the ice cream easier to spread, let it sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Leftover pie can be kept uncovered in the freezer for up to 5 days. The meringue will not collapse.
